Continue Altair's story and find the missing link between Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed 2 on PlayStation 3

Free Run and climb anywhere. A real technology breakthrough and a first on PSP

Players can connect their PSP to their PS3 to unlock exclusive material

Discover hidden messages when you visit the Abstergo Corporation's lab in PlayStation Home*.

*Please note that PlayStation Home is only available in the following languages: English, French, Spanish, German and Italian.

The hunt continues

Unfolding before the events that take place in the highly anticipated Assassin's Creed II on PlayStation 3, Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines is an entirely new game exclusively developed for PSP. Set on the island of Cyprus, you take on the role of Altair, star of the original game. Altair has travelled the seas to Cyprus from the Holy Land in order to seek out and assassinate the last remnants of the Templars.

Although the character of Desmond, who appeared in the first game, does not feature in Bloodlines this new adventure explains the links between Assassin's Creed's three main protagonists: Desmond, Altair, and Ezio (who you control in Assassin's Creed II). Without spoiling the many twists and turns you're faced with, Bloodlines offers up a hugely engrossing story that matches that of its PS3 counterparts and is guaranteed to have you hooked from the outset as you find out more about the mysterious Templar society.

Unlock the secrets

As you explore each of the environments you'll discover silver coins located all around the city. Collecting these is the best way to upgrade your weapons, moves and skill sets, eventually transforming Altair into an unstoppable killing machine. What's even more interesting is how Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines is cross compatible with Assassin's Creed II on PS3. By collecting the coins you can then synchronize your PSP with your PS3 and use the currency to buy exclusive upgrades in the PS3 sequel.

Other exclusives upgrades include unlocking enemy weapons that can be used in Assassin's Creed II such as Moloch's lethal weighted chain, which makes for some stellar extras and cross compatibility options unlike any other game on PSP. With all the best parts of the original Assassin's Creed on PS3, Bloodlines is a truly epic adventure and the ultimate companion piece for fans of the Ubisoft series.

The big boss

Besides the ability to perform death defying moves, you're also equipped with a series of weapons and hand-to-hand combat moves to assist you in your quest to hunt down the remaining Templars. Armed with a sword for battling single and multiple enemies, you have the ability to perform swift sword swipes and counter attacks that normally result in a death blow when you encounter some of the game's weaker enemies.

For the close kill, you have your trusty wrist blade which is ideal for sneaking up behind an enemy and silencing them without alerting nearby guards to your whereabouts. Lastly, there are throwing knives, perfect for taking down enemies while prowling along beams. Along the way you'll also encounter hulking bosses that require a more tactical approach.

Once such foe is Moloch the Bull, a monster of man wielding a weight attached to a long chain that you quickly find out can't be blocked and instead have to counter attacks before moving in for the kill.

Know no limits

Developer Griptonite Games has undoubtedly captured the look, feel and style of the original game, crafting an adventure that's sure to thrill fans of the series and newcomers alike. Altair's controls are almost identical with some modifications to accommodate the switch to PSP such as using buttons to control camera. In Bloodlines, to move the camera, you first hold down the L button before using the X, Square, Circle or Triangle to move it in any direction you choose. To centre the camera whilst running across rooftops or in the middle of a swordfight simply double tap the L button.

Much like Assassin's Creed, Bloodlines features huge open environments littered with side streets, rooftops, pigeon coops and bales of hay for you to scale and hide in should you find yourself being pursued by enemies after an assassination or being spotted. To perform Altair's spectacular Parkour moves, all you have to do is hold down the L and X button and you'll soon be leaping from building to building, balancing on narrow beams and scaling walls with ease. There are multiple types of missions for you to get to grips with throughout the course of the game including climbing to lookout points high above the city (which also assists in unlocking the map and revealing key areas for you to visit) , duelling with nasty guards bullying the city's citizens and sneaking through certain areas without being detected.

Altair's key goals, however, are to assassinate targets and you'll find most of your time on the game will be spent gathering information about key marks before eventually tracking them down and taking them out as quickly and deftly as possible. It's not going to be simple though, while some targets can be easy pickings, later missions require that you use the environment to your advantage and plan an attack rather than leaping straight into the action.